· 7 min read
Italian vs Spanish: Which Should You Learn?
By Language Lab editorial team
Italian vs Spanish compared: 24 weeks against 30 by US State Department figures, how similar they are, where each is spoken, exams and free courses.
Italian and Spanish are both among the easiest languages for English speakers, and they are close relatives. The US State Department places both in Category I, languages close to English, listing Italian at 24 weeks of classes and Spanish at 30. Both are written much as they are spoken, both give nouns a gender, and both have six verb endings in each tense. The real difference is reach. Spanish has 520 million native speakers by the Instituto Cervantes' count and is spoken across Spain and Latin America. Italian is the language of Italy and one of four official languages of Switzerland. So choose Spanish for breadth, Italian for Italy. And whichever you learn first will give you a head start on the other.
Side by side
| Italian | Spanish | |
|---|---|---|
| State Department category | Category I | Category I |
| Class time | 24 weeks | 30 weeks |
| Spelling and sound | Read as it is written | Phonetic: written the way it is pronounced |
| Gender | Nouns masculine or feminine; adjectives agree | Gender and agreements |
| Verbs | Six endings for each tense | Six different endings for each tense |
| Where it is spoken | Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican State, and communities in Malta, Croatia, Slovenia and France | Spain, Central and South America, the USA, Equatorial Guinea |
| Official certificates | CILS, CELI, CERT.IT, PLIDA | DELE, SIELE |
| Free beginner courses | The Open University: Getting started with Italian 1 to 3 | The Open University: Getting started with Spanish 1 and 2 |
Which is easier?
By the official numbers, Italian, slightly. The State Department lists it at 24 weeks and Spanish at 30, within a Category I range of 552 to 690 class hours. In practice the BBC's guides describe the two in almost the same words. Italian is read as it is written, with every vowel distinctly enunciated. Spanish is called one of the easier languages to learn, a phonetic language in which the way it is written is the way it is pronounced. Both guides name the same two hurdles: gender, and verbs with six endings per tense.
How similar are they?
Very. Both are Romance languages, descended from Latin, and the BBC notes that Romance languages share a similar grammatical structure and often similar vocabulary. Its Italian guide says some Italian words are very similar to Portuguese and Spanish, and repeats the saying that Italians can get by in Argentina speaking only Italian. Its Spanish guide says that learning Spanish gives you a head start with French, Portuguese, Italian, Catalan and Romanian.
| English | Italian | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Thank you | Grazie | Gracias |
| Yes | Sì | Sí |
| My name is ... | Mi chiamo ... | Me llamo ... |
| How much does it cost? | Quanto costa? | ¿Cuánto cuesta? |
| a beer | una birra | una cerveza |
| the bill | il conto | la cuenta |
The first four rows show how close the languages run; the last two show that everyday vocabulary can still differ completely.
Where each will take you
- Spanish: the Instituto Cervantes counts 520 million people with native command and more than 630 million potential speakers. It is the official language of Spain and is spoken across Central and South America.
- Spanish online: the share of web pages in Spanish is the second highest in the world, though far behind English.
- Italian: the official language of Italy and one of the four official languages of Switzerland, with speakers in neighbouring countries. The BBC's guide also calls it the second most spoken language in Argentina.
- Italian in culture: music, food, design and art have carried Italian words around the world, from piano and orchestra to cappuccino.
Exams
| Italian | Spanish | |
|---|---|---|
| Main certificates | Four official bodies in the CLIQ association; CILS runs from A1 to C2 | DELE, A1 to C2, awarded on behalf of Spain's Ministry of Education |
| Validity | CILS currently has no expiry date | DELE has no expiration date |
| Results | CILS: about 3 months | DELE: approximately three months |
| Flexible option | Partial retakes: within 18 months you resit only the skills you failed | SIELE: one multilevel online exam, results within three weeks, valid five years |
How to choose
- You want the widest use across countries: Spanish.
- Your interest is Italy itself, its cities, food, opera or art: Italian.
- You need a language for Italian citizenship: Italian, with B1 as the level the Siena exam centre says is required.
- You plan to learn both eventually: start with the one you will use first. The second will come faster.
- You cannot decide: try The Open University's free first course in each and keep the one you return to.
Language Lab offers both. Its Italian and Spanish courses are built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor.
Frequently asked
Is Italian or Spanish easier to learn?
Both are in the easiest official group. The US State Department lists Italian at 24 weeks of classes and Spanish at 30.
How similar are Italian and Spanish?
Very similar. Both are Romance languages with a similar grammatical structure and much shared vocabulary, such as Grazie and Gracias, or Quanto costa? and ¿Cuánto cuesta?
Which is more useful, Italian or Spanish?
Spanish reaches more people and countries: 520 million native speakers by the Instituto Cervantes' count. Italian is the language to choose for life, study or travel in Italy.
If I learn Spanish, will Italian be easy?
Easier. The BBC's Spanish guide says learning Spanish gives you a head start in other Romance languages, including Italian.
Can Italian and Spanish speakers understand each other?
To a degree. The BBC's Italian guide notes that some words are very similar and repeats the saying that Italians can get by in Argentina speaking only Italian.
Should I learn Italian and Spanish at the same time?
The BBC's guides say each gives a head start on the other. Even so, everyday words such as birra and cerveza differ, so taking one to a comfortable level first is a sensible plan.
Sources: US Department of State, National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Foreign Language Training; BBC Languages, A Guide to Italian and A Guide to Spanish (10 facts), and Italian and Spanish Quick Fix phrases (archived pages); Instituto Cervantes, El español: lengua para el mundo 2025, and Difference between DELE and SIELE; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Certification; University for Foreigners of Siena, CILS Centre; The Open University, OpenLearn. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: Positano on the Amalfi Coast, Wiki.Bianco / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
